Summer Under the Stars Day 26: Ninotchka (1939)

Today's Summer Under the Stars focus is the great Greta Garbo. The film: Ninotchka (1939).

Ninotchka is, according the brief summary on TCM: "A coldhearted Soviet agent is warmed up by a trip to Paris and a night of love." The pitch for the movie was equally short: "Russian girl saturated with Bolshevist ideals goes to fearful, Capitalistic, monopolistic Paris. She meets romance and has an uproarious good time. Capitalism not so bad after all."

This film was a departure for Garbo, famous for her dramas. The slogan for the film followed the same tactic as Garbo's first talking picture Anna Christie (1930), when it was announced "Garbo talks!" This time it read, "Garbo laughs!" Not only does she laugh, but she makes everyone else laugh with her, as evident in the trailer.

Ninotchka is Garbo's character's name. She is sent from Russia to Paris to investigate a problem that her fellow Russian's are having selling some jewels. Here is the opening shot which sets the tone for the film:

Next shown is three men, obviously Russian, looking at amazement at a swanky Parisian hotel. Despite the great cost, they decide to stay there rather than the cheaper hotel down the street. They take the Royal suite with the excuse that the safe in the suite is the only one large enough to hold the important items that they brought with them.

 

Comrades Iranoff, Buljanoff, and Kopalski

Once in the suite we discover what it is they carry with them: magnificent jewels to be sold so that with the money they can feed their starving Russia. There is a hitch though. The jewels were taken from a former Grand Duchess of Russia (as property of the people) and that certain duchess just happens to be in Paris and a certain Russian hotel waiter just happens to see the jewels and tell the duchess where they are.

The duchess sends her lover, Count Leon d'Algout (Melvyn Douglas), to see the men. He stops them just as they are about to sell the jewels and informs them that he has filed an injunction. Now they cannot sell the jewels until they are given a clear title. While he's at it, Leon also shows the three Comrades how much fun they can have in a Capitalistic country.

Iranoff, Buljanoff, and Kopalski, after sending a telegram to Russia to inform them of this unfortunate turn of events, go to the station to meet the agent Russia has sent. They are surprised when it turns out to be a woman. One of the men says that had they known, they would have greeted her with flowers. This is Ninotchka's response:

Later, as she is walking about Paris examining it's structures, she meets Leon. A great dialogue follows (the Lubitsch touch):

Must you flirt?

I don't have to but I find it natural.

Suppress it.

The two begin to fall in love. When they discover who each other is however, Ninotchka, who was beginning to thaw out the tiniest bit, tries to ignore Leon, but he won't give up. He follows her into a working man's restaurant and tries to get her to laugh. He finally succeeds in the films most famous scene.

Ninotchka then becomes a different woman. She buys a that she had previously ridiculed with this

great line: "How can such a civilization survive which permits their women to put things like that on their heads. It won't be long now, comrades." Later they go out to dinner. Ninotchka wears a beautiful flowing, sparkly dress. The two become drunk on champagne and go back to the Royal suite (which Iranoff, Buljanoff, and Kopalski had moved out of so that the Russian agent could have the best room while they moved to the "smallest room next to the servants quarters"). Ninotchka opens the safe and Leon places a tiara on her head. She passes out and he puts her on the bed, tiara and all, and leaves.

The next morning, Ninotchka is woken by a visit by the Grand Duchess Swana, who has "retrieved" her property while Ninotchka was asleep. She tells her that she will give the jewels back and sign them over to Russia on one condition: Ninotchka leave on the next plane back to Russia. With a heavy heart, Ninotchka complies as her country must come first.

Back in Russia, the difference between it and Paris is starkly visible. There is no privacy in the small room she shares with two other girls and in order to have an omelet she must have her three friends over so that there are enough eggs. While they are "feasting" a letter comes from Leon. It starts out, "Ninotchka my darling" and ends "Yours, Leon." In between is nothing but blotted out words as the entire body of the letter has been censored.

Fast-forward to a few weeks later. Ninotchka is once again sent after Iranoff, Buljanoff, and Kopalski, this time in Constantinople. Upon her arrival (she is greeted with flowers this time) she discovers that they have opened a Russian restaurant and plan on staying there.

They have another surprise for her too...

The movie ends typical Hollywood style with Leon convincing Ninotchka to stay with him and sealing it with a kiss. THE END.

Ninotchka is my first Garbo film. I found the first half to be a little slow, though it had some great one-liners. For the second half Garbo suddenly seemed to come to life. I definitely agree with this statement made by Howard Barnes of The New York Herald Tribune: "Now that she has done it, it seems incredible that Greta Garbo never appeared in a comedy before Ninotchka; the great actress reveals a command of comic inflection which fully matches the emotional depth or tragic power of her earlier triumphs."

Behind the scenes:

This photo of Greta Garbo was found stuck on the wall of Anne Frank's room.

It was from  ‘Ninotchka.’

Our little room looked very bare at first with nothing on the walls; but thanks to Daddy who had brought my film-star collection and picture postcards on beforehand, and with the aid of a paste pot and brush, I have transformed the walls into one gigantic picture. This makes it look much more cheerful… 

~ Anne Frank, July 11, 1942

This post is part of the 2015 Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Journeys in Classic Film. Be sure and read all of the other posts on Garbo and the other stars here.

The 'House Plan' Scene in "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"

 

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) is one of my favorite movies, in part due to this scene. I have always enjoyed looking at house plans. When I was younger I would tear them out of magazines and check out house plan books at the library, making copies of my favorite ones. Watching this movie for the first time a few years ago, caused  me to pull them out again.

 

The premise of the film is, Mr. Blandings, played to perfection by Cary Grant, is in advertising. He lives in an apartment with his perfect wife, played by none other than the perfect Myrna Loy, his two daughters, their bird, and their maid/cook. It's very crowded.

 

Mr. Blandings, getting sick and tired of living in such a cramped space, purchases a house in Connecticut. However, upon viewing the house, everyone tells him to "Tear it down." Then someone suggests, "Why not look at some floor plans?" Mr. and Mrs. Blandings think this is a marvelous idea.

 

 

 

They visit Mr. Simms, the architect (played by Reginald Denny). He show them a sample plan.

 

Simms: First floor - living room, dining room, study, kitchen, breakfast room, service porch, maids rooms.

Second floor - three family bedrooms; two with joining baths.

 

Mrs. Blandings: Don't you think it's a little conventional?

 

Simms: Of course, this is just a point of departure; you don't have to adhere to any of this.

 

Then the fun starts.

 

 

Grant and Loy get ahold of pens and begin adding on to the "point of departure." The dialogue goes something like this:

 

If this were my house...

Now, here for instance...

If we could just push this wall a little...

 

And closets, Mr. Simms, plenty of closets! One thing this family needs is closets.

 

And bathrooms, Mr. Simms. Each bedroom must have at least one bathroom.

 

Do you think we could manage a little playroom

in the basement? You know, nothing tremendous...

 

And I've always wanted a little sewing room, a little utility room

upstairs where I can be alone and sew, or sulk, on a rainy day.

 

Now, Mr. Simms, about that playroom, not too small you know.

Plenty of room for dodge, ping-pong, nice big poker table...

The result:

 

Mr. Simms tries to talk some sense into the Blandings, who are still happily drawing rooms for their dream home.

 

Simms: In the first place, I'm afraid you've got the upstairs

about twice as big as the downstairs.

 

It's all those bathrooms!

 

It's all those closets.

 

Simms tries talking to Mr. Blandings.

 

Simms: By extending that breakfast room, you've eliminated the possibility of any stairs going up to the second floor.

 

Blandings: Oh, I've allowed for that. You can put them in behind the pantry.

 

So he tries Mrs. Blandings.

 

Simms: Mrs. Blandings, on that sewing room. The way you have it there, the chimney stack would come right up through the middle of the room, leaving you with something in the shape of a square donut, which of course may be very warm in winter, but otherwise a on utility.

 

Mrs. Blandings: Can't you put the chimney somewhere else?

 

Ten screen minutes later, they are back for the estimates, which end up being twice as much as they thought.

 

Mrs. Blandings: But we've only asked for the barest necessities!

Needless to say, after many more (hilarious) problems, the Blandings family finally get their dream house. To see more screenshots of the house and learn some trivia about the film, check out this (and other) amazing post(s) on Hooked on Houses. It's a treasure trove of classic movie houses.

Several "Mr. Blandings" houses, 73 to be exact, were built all over the country to promote the film. Here is an article that ran about one built in Spokane, Washington - the only one that followed the plans exactly.

The floorplan sent out to 100 cities by RKO

Article that appeared in a Portland, Oregon newspaper about one of the open houses. Source.

 

Click here to view a magazine spread with completed views on the house.

Kellogg's even made a cardboard version of the house!

 

Also, here is some interesting info on the promotional side of the film. It's the latter half of the post.

Drop in and see us sometime!

 

  

This post is part of the "...And Scene!" Blogathon hosted by Sister Celluloid. Be sure and check out all of the other fantastic entries here!

All screenshots by Phyl

Theodora Goes Wild (1936)

 

Theodora Goes Wild is our third and last Romantic Comedy from the 1930s. This film is an absolute delight from start to finish. Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas give sparkling performances not to be missed.

Full Movie!!!

In the film, Dunne plays Theodora Lynn, a wholesome, small-town girl who lives with her two maiden aunts, Aunt Mary and Aunt Elsie, in Connecticut. Unbeknownst to them, Theodora writes risqué novels under the name of Caroline Adams. When one of her stories is printed in the town's local paper, the Lynnfield Bugle, it's citizens, including her aunts, protest and force the paper to stop running it. Theodora finds it amusing that her work has the town all in a frenzy.

 

Theodora goes to New York to visit her publisher (she tells her aunts she's visiting her uncle). He wants her to do some publicity for her book, which of course she can't do without revealing who she really is. During her meeting she meets the illustrator of her book cover, Michael Grant (played with zest by Melvyn Douglas). He finds it funny that the author of such a racy book is so unworldly. This of course makes Theodora mad and she sets off to prove him wrong. First she gets drunk and then she goes up to his apartment, where he scares her off - and proves his point - by his advances.

Next we find Theodora back in her hometown when who should show up by Grant. He gets himself hired as her aunt's gardener, under the name of Dubarry. Naturally the two end up falling in love, shocking Theodora's aunts in the process.

 

My favorite scene, and the scene that made me a Melvyn Douglas fan, is when Theodora visits him in his room in the back yard.

 

My favorite scene

 

When Grant realizes he is in love with Theodora, he goes back to New York. Theodora follows, only to run into his father and find out that Grant is already married! She also finds out that he can't divorce his wife as it would ruin his father's career. Theodora decides to do something about it. First, she moves into Grant's apartment, causing him to move out. Then she has her publisher reveal her identity as an authoress. This shocks her aunts and her entire hometown. What has become of their church-going, Sunday school teaching, organ playing Theodora?

 

 

 

 

Theodora's actions lead Grant's wife to file for divorce. Then she returns to Lynnfield - with a baby! Her aunts are shocked but ready to take her back in. In all the confusion, Grant shows up. He also thinks the baby is Theodora's!! She straightens them all out by telling them that the baby belongs to her friend, who had secretly married her sweetheart at Theodora's urging.

 

 

This film is a must to watch, especially if you are an Irene Dunne fan! Dunne almost turned down the role because she was afraid it might damage her good-girl image. I'm glad she didn't! She is perfect in this role (which incidentally was her first comedy) and received an Oscar nomination for it (she lost to Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld). Douglas is the perfect leading man (he has been compared to William Powell but never achieved the star status that Powell did). Some people find his silliness in the film annoying but it was that aspect that made me love him in this part.

 

Dunne's Wardrobe by Bernard Newman

 

Behind-the-Scenes

 

Douglas and director Richard Boleslawski touching up Dunne's make-up

 

In Douglas's autobiography, he recounts a story about Dunne - she wasn't excited enough on one of her entrances. Boleslawski crept up behind her just as she was about to enter and fired a blank cartridge from a hand gun. If you watch the movie, you will "be rewarded with one of the most breathless, bewildered on-camera entrances ever recorded" (See You at the Movies: The Autobiography of Melvyn Douglas. Melvyn Douglas & Tom Arthur. 1986. 110).

Douglas and Dunne at the premiere

 

A car ad featuring Dunne as Theodora

 

Our next film also features Melvyn Douglas. To learn more about this underrated actor, read Robert Osborne's article on him here.

Sources:
TCM - Theodora Goes Wild
IMDb
All images found via Pinterest